Scotland For Your Holidays

Artist: Terence Cuneo
Format: Poster
Condition: Excellent
Year: 1952

Description

During the first half of the 20th century technological advances meant that long distance holidaying became more popular. Often the journey to the holiday destination was as much an adventure and experience as the holiday itself with people preparing smartly for travel aboard airplanes or cruise ships. Part of this lost mystique of travelling is also reflected in the travel posters created to advertise various forms of transport. With elegant, colourful and eye-catching designs, it is no wonder that the market for travel posters has become so well established.

“Scotland For Your Holidays” produced for British Railways in 1952, is an example of why Terence Cuneo is now one of the best collected and most highly regarded of British travel poster artists. The design brilliantly captures both the scenic location of the Forth Bridge as well as the powerful Gresley A4 Class Pacific Plover, promoting both the travel and destination. Cuneo reportedly painted the scene above a girder high above the track, braving wind gusts of 50mph, demonstrating the artist’s commitment to his work and art.

Cuneo long held a passion for engineering subjects, noticeable in many of his designs, such as “The Lickey Incline” which was commissioned in the 1960’s and which also bears his similar artistic aesthetics. A good example of the collectability of Cuneo’s work is that this oil painting sold through Christie’s in July 2013 for £73,875 (image courtesy of www.christies.com).

It is also interesting to compare Cuneo’s artwork to the approaches of other artists working in the same field. For example, Leslie Ragan’s “Highlands of the Hudson: New York Central System” painted circa 1947 displays the exuberant and luxurious art deco design style that flourished during the 1930s and 1940s. This variation in style is just one reason for the enduring popularity and strength of the travel poster market.